Evanston police responded to a Northwestern graduate student’s report of battery and an attempted burglary in his apartment Monday afternoon.

The 26-year-old man was listening to music in his bedroom in the 2200 block of Sherman Avenue, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said. At about 2:35 p.m., Dugan said, a black man with a speckled gray beard — roughly 5-foot-5 and between 50 and 60 years old — pushed the door open and walked into the bedroom.

The tenant confronted the intruder and told him to leave, but he instead attempted to enter another bedroom, Dugan said. When the tenant grabbed the man’s arm to escort him out of the apartment, the man turned around and struck him once in the upper lip.

Dugan said the intruder then grabbed a pair of slippers off of a shelf, put his hand in his pocket and stated, “Don’t make me do it.”

Fearing the offender was armed, the tenant backed away and allowed the man to run out the back door, Dugan said. He added that the report doesn’t clearly state whether the intruder took the slippers with him, and they are not on the property listing of stolen items.

NU Chief of Police Bruce Lewis said in a statement that no weapon was displayed during the incident and the student declined medical attention. He advised community members to lock their doors when they are both at home and away.

In an email to The Daily, NU deputy chief of police Gloria Graham said although officers don’t have any more details, she was able to speak with the student.

“He is doing (OK),” she said. “He did not know the individual that entered his apartment.”

Lewis directed people to report additional information to the Evanston Police Department. Dugan said detectives are currently investigating the incident further.

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